Suspension systems are used in most ground vehicles and in many types of stationary equipment to reduce vibrations/shocks transmitted to a vehicle or equipment body from road/terrain/track or in general from the ground or a floor. In vehicles, a suspension system is used to enhance driver/passenger ride comfort, offer effective protection of cargo and also the vehicle chassis, improve vehicle road-holding and thus handling, and reduce road damage potential due to dynamic vehicle loadings. In equipment, suspension systems are used to reduce vibration transmission from the equipment to the ground, and also isolate the equipment from any ground vibrations. In vehicles however, a suspension system typically has to be compromised among different performance measures associated with vehicle ride, handling, roll and directional stabilities, design space and energy consumption.
Although considerable progress has been made in developing suspension systems, there is still a general need for improved systems and in particular for a system that provides independent control of properties such as stiffness and ride height in an efficient manner.